(UPDATED November 27, 2013, with photo) November 21, 2013 – Alstom Grid’s new T155 420kV gas-insulated substation (GIS) is designed to satisfy electrical networks up to 420kV, 63kA, 5000/6300A in power generation, transmission and heavy industry applications.

The substation is 40% more compact than its previous version, says Alstom, mainly due to the single-chamber circuit breaker; the bays are assembled and tested in factory, and erection time is reduced by 30%. Embedded digital monitoring and control functions communicate via the IEC 61850 protocol, promising interoperability, ease of configuration, reliability, availability, and so forth. Alstom’s SF6-sealing technology and digital monitoring prevents gas from being released into the environment, says the company, adding that “eco-design principles” reduces its environmental impact by 15% when compared to previous models.